Vivid 2014 - Sydney - Festival of Light

Vivid is the festival of light, which happens at the end of May/start of June each year in Sydney. The whole of Circular Quay is lights up in colour and amazing light shows are projected onto landmarks around the area.

Most notably the Sydney Opera House.

The best place to enjoy all the wonders of Vivid is the Opera Bar, just under the Sydney Opera House. We managed to get a great seat with a view of the Harbour and of the famous monument behind us.

It can get very busy, so I suggest getting to the attractions as early as possible, but dark enough to appreciate the shows!

There are various events on during Vivid, but unfortunately I didn't get a chance to go along to any of them. There is always next year.

Ferry to Manly and Shelly Beach Snorkelling - Sydney

Although I love the Eastern Suburbs, I also quite like getting out of the bubble. Living in Sydney, the best way to get around is by ferry, especially when travelling to Manly. You can get a ferry from Circular Quay and Watsons Bay.

One particular morning I was able to get the front seat of the ferry. This is an unusual occurrence, as they are usually packed full to the brim with tourists.

I love how the ferry allows you to see all the famous Sydney landmarks from a different angle.

Sydney Harbour is teeming with life, above and below. There are so many different water sports played on the surface, such as sailing and paddle boarding. However, I won't be jumping into the thick of Harbour anytime soon. There are quite a few bull sharks in there, and I don't fancy meeting one of them! I will stick to the shoreline and netted areas!

Below is the entrance to the Harbour. You can see North Head near Manly on the left and South Head on the right. Watsons Bay is not too far from here.

Manly is like a chilled out version of Bondi. It also acts like a bubble, as it is quite far to get anywhere from. There are so many surf shops and cafes to choose from.

I actually prefer a beach just round the corner from the main one, Shelly Beach. Here you can take your snorkel and explore the bay. There are also some cute cafes to purchase snorkel gear if you forget/ don't have any.

Shelly is far quieter than Manly, and you can pretty much leave your things to the side and spend hours in the water without any worries.

Back at Manly Wharf, sunset. Bliss. Manly and Shelly are without a doubt the must see places when visitors come to Sydney

One of the many ferries in service.

My Love for Bondi Beach and the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk - Sydney

As I was still living in Newtown with friends, it was about time found my own place. For me, the search began in the Eastern Suburbs. To begin with, I didn't want to move to Bondi. This is where all the Brits come to when they get to Sydney, and never leave. I didn't want to get caught in the bubble. I hadn't moved half way across the world to live somewhere like Shoreditch, and I also wanted to live the Aussie lifestyle and live near the beach...

Back when my family visited Sydney in 2005 my father even refused to take us to Bondi, as it was too touristy. I had all these preconceptions of how it was going to be. When I eventually arrived in Bondi, I hadn't prepared myself. I fell in love immediately. Sucker!

I managed to find a place on Beach Road, about 5 minutes from the Beach. Living with an Aussie guy and an English girl (who has since been replaced by an American guy). The perfect place for living the Aussie dream. I honestly cannot believe how lucky I am to live here. I know now this is where I need to be at this stage in my life. I may not be the typical Bondi person, but I don't really care!

Bondi itself is pretty special. The coastal walk to Coogee offers incredible views. It is the best backyard I have ever had. The walk probably takes about two hours to complete. Sometimes I only walk to Bronte, get a smoothie and then head back. These photos were taken over the Easter weekend.

The pathway gets very busy at times, as lots of people use it to exercise and walk their dogs. Earlier in the morning is probably the best time to go.

Tamarama has an iconic surf life saving club sign, and marks the next beach from Bondi.

Just on from Bronte, Waverly Cemetery looks out to sea. Not to be morbid, but this would be my ideal final resting place. Next to the ocean with a stunning view.

Icebergs pool is also an iconic Bondi snap. I have sooooo many photos, as I love all the turquoise and blue colours.

Visit to 'Home and Away' Summer Bay - Palm Beach - Sydney

'You know we belong together....'

I was enjoying my time getting to know Sydney as a tourist, but my saved travel money was only going to last so long. I managed to get a job in a similar field to my freelance gig in London, working with YouTubers. On the day I signed the dotted line, I made the most of the last of summer and headed to Summer Bay, aka Palm Beach with my friend Nola.

Palm beach, or Palmy as the locals call it, is a bit of a mission to get to. This is the beauty of it. Famed for the place where soap 'Home and Away' is filmed, this area is actually very affluent and has a lot of beautiful big beach houses. Every time I have visited this stunning beach, I always miss filming but I usually stand in awe of the real estate there.

This particular day we had the beach to ourselves, bar a few dog walkers. We just chilled and sun baked for the afternoon.

Getting to Palm Beach takes about one and a half hours from the CBD on one bus.

There are a few restaurants and places I want to explore more in the northern beaches, so I think I might dedicate a weekend to this soon.

'Closer each day... Home and Away!'